Poetry: Cambodia Bladed

greg bem cambodia bladed

What is Cambodia Bladed?

Cambodia Bladed was my series of prose poems written for and about my second and most recent time spent in Cambodia, from July to September, 2015. It was published between October and December, 2015. The series explores time, space, experience, mindfulness, among many other things. In many ways, and for many reasons, I wrote it as a direct response to the sort of heaviness I was feeling during and after this most recent time period.

For me, the experience writing Cambodia Bladed was also one of experimentation. I had been experimenting with photography and writing as a multidisciplinary form during my Washington seriesMelmont piece, and Costa Rica/Panama piece. In a lot of ways, Cambodia Bladed was the high point for this form. I still use this form for my Beyond the Neon series, but I think I’ve exhausted my interest in the style associated with the form. I’m grateful for Queen Mob’s for letting me serialize this piece over the three months. You can read it at the links below:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

Part Seven